A Few Tips For Developers On How To Get Hired By A Startup

Not everyone is cut out to work for a startup. It involves a lot of hustling, a lot of nail-biting, pizza-eating, sleeping at your desk, tears, failure, confusion, and on and on. And wearing your startup’s t-shirt. All the time. That being said, it can also be extremely rewarding and, with all the cash flying around Silicon Valley (and beyond), aspiring entrepreneurs are flocking to startups.

Developers want to shoot for the top, and Facebook, Twitter, and Google are highly coveted places of employment for programmers for a reason; of course, the harsh reality is that not everyone is going to work at these companies, nor do all developers want to work at these companies. (Though there are great books like this one if that’s the road you choose.) Opting to go work for an early-stage business means hard work and sacrifice — and doesn’t always offer competitive salary/benefits — but it can mean more freedom, more of a say in the direction of a company, and the chance to disrupt the old and be a part of building the new.

Developers can showcase their best work and hacks on Github, or go build something awesome with a favorite startup’s API to offer prospective employers a taste of what they would do were they to get hired. Startups are looking for programmers willing to take initiative, those who display creative thinking, and those work well with others (on deadline). Do those and you’re well on your way.